Local officials trade ideas at retreat

Government

If Oconee County commissioners ran the school system, they would demand information on the county's plans for growth and infrastructure improvements.

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And if school board members ran the county government, they would create a master plan to deal with growth - and they would force developers to stick to that plan.

Sometimes standing in another's shoes can help find an answer to complicated questions, Oconee County leaders learned recently at a joint meeting.

Seeking solutions is just what members of the Oconee County Board of Education and Oconee County Commission did at a retreat called to discuss prominent issues that face the two largest governments in the county.

A representative of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government asked elected leaders to describe their most pressing issues - and then the two groups switched roles to brainstorm ways to solve those problems.

The commission identified major issues as growing infrastructure needs, and the retention and recruitment of business and other non-residential developments to add to the tax base. The school board's biggest problems are complying with unfunded mandates brought by the federal No Child Left Behind Act and knowing where to plan new schools.

This is only the third time the two boards have come together in the past several years, but Carl Vinson facilitator Scot Wrighton said the local leaders were able to talk about some of the most pressing issues the county faces.

"I think (both boards) feel a strong obligation that they have to meet with each other frequently to make sure their programs are coordinated, to see if they can achieve some efficiencies and economies by doing things together," Wrighton said. "That kind of coordination is what the citizens want, and it makes a good use of resources."

Post 4 Commissioner Chuck Horton said commissioners must work hard to make sure their decisions don't harm the school system.

"The school system is the largest employer in the county; it has the larger budget between the two (governments); it impacts property owners a lot more than the county government does," Horton said.

Members of both boards decided they eventually will appoint liaisons to the other body and provide periodic reports in person.